Final Fantasy VII: A Different Hero
by Gryffindor-RikkuChan
Summary: AU Sephiroth kills Cloud instead of Aeris. Now Aeris continues the journey to save the planet as a different hero. Cloirth KaiVin
1. The Scarifice

Whenever I watch Aerith's death, I always wish Cloud could have done something to do save his beloved. So I thought Cloud might have been the one killed by Sephiroth instead Aerith. My Only Love fits CloudxAerith. I just decided to put Return to the Sea in for fun, plus the music sounded cool.

Final Fantasy VII: A Different Hero

Chapter 1 The Sacrifice

A young man with spiky blond hair and bright sea blue eyes stood between five columns, no wider than him. Below was a pool of pure, blue water. Cloud Strife leapt on the first column, a woman with long black hair and blood red eyes and a man with blond hair and light grey eyes tried to follow, but Cloud waved them away. He leapt across the other columns to reach a small shrine. He stepped onto the stairs leading up where a woman with long dark brown hair and deep beautiful emerald green eyes was kneeling.

Something glowed red, but Cloud shook his head and reached for his Buster Sword, but shook his head again and continued up the stairs. He stood before Aeris Gainsborough, but she didn't move. He faced away and drew his sword, she still didn't move, he turned to face her, he lifted his sword above his head, she still didn't move, he brought his sword down.

"Cloud!" Cid Highwind shouted.

"Stop!" Tifa Lockheart shouted.

Cloud shook his head and stepped back. "Ugh…..what are you making me do?" he asked himself.

Aeris kneeled in the small shrine, she was praying. She looked for the first time and saw Cloud. She smiled, beautifully. Falling from the bright white light above was a black figure. It fell faster and faster. Cloud realized the figure was Sephiroth, his sword drawn, the faster he fell, straight for Aeris. Cloud ran behind Aeris, Sephiroth's sword pierced through Cloud's body.

The next few moments seemed like hours, Aeris could hear her heart pounding in her ears at the sacrifice Cloud made. Sephiroth, his sword still through Cloud's body, just stared at Aeris. His light green eyes glittered cat-like, a sly smile on his face. With a great noise of grating metal, he pulled his sword from Cloud's body. Cloud fell backward; his eyes wide open in shock, the grip on his Buster Sword loosing, until finally he let go of it completely. Then his eyes closed, when he let go of the Buster Sword, it fell into the floor with big clang.

Cloud fell backward; Aeris caught him before he hit the floor, cradling her first true love in her arms. Tears starting to form in her emerald green eyes, she whispered, "Oh, Cloud….. You sacrificed yourself to save me. I love you, Cloud Strife." She remembered a song she heard when she was young.

"_Deep in my soul," _Aeris sang softy. "_Love so strong,_ _it takes control. Now we both know, the secrets there, the feelings show. Driven far apart, I make a wish, on a shooting star. There will come a day, something far away, in your arms I'll stay, my only love. Even though you're gone, love will still live on, the feeling is so strong, my only love. My only love. There will come a day, something far away, in your arms I'll stay, my only love. You've reached the deepest part of a secret in my heart. I've known it from the start, my only love. There will come a day, something far away, in your arms I'll stay, my only love. You're reached the deepest part of a secret in my heart. I've known it from the start, my only love. My only love."_

"Giving himself up to save you," Sephiroth said. "How stupid. Oh well, you're both become of the planet's energy." He readied his weapon for Aeris, but some sort of invisible shield was protecting her and Cloud. He realized that Aeris was making it because of her love for Cloud.

"No," she said. "I won't let anyone else dear to me die again, Sephiroth. I will stop you, with the help of my friends."

She gently placed Cloud on the floor, got up and turned to face Sephiroth. She walked toward Cloud's Buster Sword, grabbing the handle and gaining the strength she needed to pick it up. At first, she placed over it her shoulder, and then brought it down while she stood in a stance that seemed to a mix of hers and Cloud's. Tifa and Cid ran up to help her, Sephiroth just grinned, he rocketed and his body became a tiny green sphere.

He turned in Jenova-LIFE; Aeris felt Cloud's spirit upon her. She ran toward her enemy, swinging the Buster Sword in front of her, slicing one of the parts. Tifa ran, she threw two punches and a kick, and Cid swirled his spear and pierced the part Aeris sliced. After Aeris, Tifa, and Cid finished Jenova-LIFE, Sephiroth said, "Cloud's a puppet, Aeris. Remember that. To the snowfields."

Cloud's body was resting against one wall of the shine, Cid stood before him, and he looked skyward as if in prayer, then turned and left. Tifa kneeled next to Cloud; she reached up and touched his face, his hair, then covered her mouth, squeezed her eyes shut, tears streaming down her face, and ran off.

Aeris walked over to Cloud, she gently picked him up, and carried him to the secluded pool. Aeris slowly lowered Cloud into the clear blue water; she released him and slowly backed away. He floated on the surface for one brief second, and then his face sunk beneath the water.

"Goodbye, Cloud…" Aeris whispered, tears streaming down her face.

Tifa stared at the silhouette of Aeris changing clothes; she sighed as she fell and landed quietly.

"Tifa…" Aeris said, putting a pair of dark brown pants under her dress. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Aeris," Tifa said. "It's Sephiroth's fault. I will avenge his death."

"I will, too," Aeris said, slipping on bright red fingerless gloves. "I will, too, Tifa."

She slipped on a carrier for the Buster Sword over her shoulder; she came out and walked up to Tifa, she grabbed her hand.

"Cloud's watching us in heaven," she said. "No matter what, he's watching us from heaven."

"Yeah," Tifa nodded.

They walked back to the others, Aeris undid her hair, letting her pink ribbon and white materia fell, she took a knife and cut her hair. Everyone gasped at the Ancient now; she tightly held the rest of her cut hair and whispered, "Fire…"

The hair caught on fire as she let go, becoming ashes as it fell to the ground. Tifa looked at her friend, she whispered, "Aeris…"

"Call me Aerith from on now," she said, looking at everyone.

They headed out of the Forgotten Forest, Aerith heard a gasp, she turned to a girl with short dark red hair and dark bright sea blue eyes shaking behind one of the trees, she held out her hand. The girl nervously stepped out of her spot and gently grabbed Aerith's hand.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Kai…Kairi," she said quietly.

"Aerith Gainsborough," she introduced.

Aerith seemed notice a large white and gray key shaped weapon tucked in her belt, everyone else waited for her at Cid's large airship, Lady Luck. A black cloaked figure jumped down from the tree Kairi hid behind. He walked toward the lake and lifting one hand, he lifted Cloud's body.

Aerith watched the passing clouds as they flew across the sky, Cid sheered gently, Tifa and Kairi sat at the gunner seats, Barret and Yuffie stood at one side, Cait Sith and Nanaki stood at the other side. Everyone sliced to one side, Aerith asked, "What's happening?"

"We're being attacked," Cid said.

Everyone but Aerith got to fight whatever was attacking them, Aerith ran to the roof, she kneeled and folded her hands together. The necklace she made of her hair ribbon and materia blew roughly in the wind.

"_The last page of a fairy tale has been re-written and changed into tragedy,"_ she sang. _"Even for one person's heart who believed in it, it's been lost. Love and dreams are nothing more but a sandcastle that's short-lived, and breakable, even if you didn't wish it so. But even now, I won't forget of that song you always to sing. It echoes in my chest, and I feel as if I might return to that day."_

As she sang, her materia glowed, it glow brighter and brighter with each verse, Tifa and Kairi shot at the shadow silhouettes of airships nearby, Barret and Yuffie sat at the computers, Cid tried to sheer. Aerith continued her song.

"_Definitely I can return to it, but right now all it's been a chain surrounding me that I will shake off. Our two worlds are linked by the blue sea. 'Definitely… Love will conquer all, the constellations that decide fate can be changed', should completely vanish. All it is, a cowardly lie. Like a jewel, the sea which shines bright as it's nursed. Engulfs everything with kindness and love, and gives seven lives birth and dream to gaze at. So I've come back here. I won't lie to myself any longer. I have my people to protect, and a world to protect."_

A pair of pure white wings covered her and somehow lowered her back into Lady Luck.

* * *

Her song reached the ears of a man with spiky black hair and deep brown eyes, he gently pushed on Cloud's chest, behind him was a boy with short sliver hair and light sea blue green eyes. The man and the boy both wore black cloaks.

"Zack, I don't think it's working," the boy said.

"Don't worry, Riku," Zack said. "He'll wake up soon."

After he said that, Cloud opened his eyes, and looked up at Zack and Riku.

"Great, the first two faces I see in the afterlife are my best friend and a boy I don't know," he said.

"Well, Cloud Strife, as guides of the dead, it's our duty to inform you are not dead," Zack said, a huge smile on his face.

Cloud sat up quickly, seeing a small scar over his stomach. He looked at Zack, who seemed to wear a huge grin on his grin, and Riku, who held his clothes in one hand and a black cloak in the other. He remembered Sephiroth tried to kill Aeris, but he got in the way. So how did he get healed with just Zack and Riku here?

Zack leaned against one tree and Riku sat against another tree as Cloud got dressed in his SOLDIER uniform covered by the black cloak Riku gave him. He stepped out, Zack and Riku looked at him, he looked just like them, a black cloak over his clothes. Zack and Riku smiled.

Kairi looked at Aerith's resting body in the bedroom they shared, she was asleep lightly, Kairi grew sleepy and fell asleep aside her.


	2. A Old Memory

Basically the agruments between Riku and Zack are like the ones between Yuki and Kyo. Finally, I decribed what the Silent Love Keyblade looks like. The videos I'm including are 'The Weapon', actually the only video I'm not including. There's one reason I chose Harry Potter for my challenge fic, because of the video twenty days after Aerith's birth, what happens in that video is like what James told Lily. The weapon Aerith got is the Brotherhood. The characters belong to SquareSoft and the song Imagine Me Without You belongs to Jaci Velasquez.

Chapter 2 A Old Memory

Aerith and the group entered a small town covered in snow, she smiled, it was her birthplace. It was Winter Town, Aerith ran to a hotel nearby, Kairi holding her hand. Aerith ran to the counter, "A room for six, please."

"10 gil per night," he said, they entered a room with three beds on each side, Tifa, Aerith, and Kairi were one side, Barret, Cid, and Yuffie were the other side, Aerith found a camera on her bed. She opened the side scene and saw writing on the side, she read what it said:

_This camera belongs to Professor Gast, from Shin-Ra Company. If found, please return to the Research Lab in Winter Town._

Aerith looked at the files in her father's camera; she watched the first video called "The Original Crisis."

_There was the inside of a small shock, the scenery was dimmed slightly green. A man dressed in a white lab coat was adjusting some of the instruments, while a woman dressed in a red dress stood by. The man finished his adjustments and went over to stand by the woman._

"_Camera's ready!" he said. "Then, Ifalna, please tell us about the Cetra."_

_The man stepped away, his attention focused on Ifalna, she began to speak._

"_2000 years ago, our ancestors, the Cetra, heard the cries of the Planet," Ifalna said. "The first ones to discover the Planet's wound were the Cetra at Knowlespole."_

"_Tell us Ifalna…" the man said. "Where is the land called 'Knowlespole'?"_

"_Knowlespole refers to this area. The Cetra than began a Planet-reading."_

"_Ifalna, what exactly does Planet-reading entail?"_

"…_I can't explain it very well, but it's like having a conversation with the Planet… It said something fell from the sky making a large wound. Thousands of Cetra pulled together, trying to heal the Planet… But, due to the severity of the wound, it was only able to heal itself, over many years."_

"_Do Ancients, rather, the Cetra, have special powers to heal the Planet?"_

_Ifalna shook her head, "No, it's not that kind of power. The life force of all living things on this Planet becomes the energy. The Cetra tried desperately to cultivate the land so as not to diminish the needed energy…"_

"_Hmm, even here so close to the North Cave, the snow never melts," the man said. "Is that because the planet's energy is gathered here to heal its injury?"_

_She bowed her head, "Yes, the energy that was needed to heal the Planet withered away the land… then the Planet… The Planet tried to persuade the Cetra to leave the Knowlespole, but…"_

_The doctor shrugged, "Ifalna… Let's take a break."_

_Ifalna shook her head again, "I'm all right… When the Cetra… were preparing to part with the land they loved…"_

_She turned away, "That's what it appeared! It looked like… our… our dead mothers… and our dead brothers. Showing us spectres of their past."_

"_Who is the person that appeared at the North Cave?" the doctor asked. "I haven't any idea."_

"_That's the one who injured the Planet," she answered, "…or the 'crisis from the sky', as we call him, came."_

_She covered her face with her hands, "He first approached as a friend, deceived them, and finally…gave them the virus."_

_She looked up again, "The Cetra were attacked by the virus, and went mad… transforming into monsters."_

_She sank to the floor, the doctor ran over to her._

"_Then, just as he had at the Knowlespole," she continued. "He approached other Cetra clans… infecting them with… the virus…"_

"_You don't look well…" the doctor said. "Let's call it a day."_

_He walked over to the console and passed some buttons._

As Aerith noticed two video files days after her birth, she also noticed on the key chain on Kairi's weapon. A small star shaped fruit, Aerith smiled as she started the video file ten days after her birth.

_The screen was dark as the Professor and Ifalna spoke._

"_What are you doing, Profes… I mean, honey?" Ifalna asked._

"_Oh, I'm thinking of taping it on video," the Professor answered. "But, the video's not working right…"_

"_What are you going to tape? Is there still something I haven't mentioned?"_

"_No, it's not that. I'm going to record my beautiful daughter."_

"_And when she's sleeping, her face…looks like an angel."_

"_First, we have to figure out her name. We can take the video later!"_

"_I've already decided! If it's a girl, then it'll be Aeris. That's that!"_

"_You're SO selfish! But Aeris is a good name!"_

"_Hee hee… it's a good name, considering it came out of that forgetful head of yours!"_

"_Right!? Oh, the video tape…"_

Aerith smiled as she started the video file twenty days after her birth, eyeing Tifa talking to Yuffie about something and laughing at a joke Yuffie made.

_The Professor was working at the console again; Ifalna came in and stood next to him._

"_Video again?" she asked. "You just got through taping!"_

"………_.Please don't say it that way," the Professor said. "It's lovely daughter, both yours… and mine! Don't you want to capture her childhood on videotape?"_

"_If you keep doting on her like that, she won't grow up to be strong… Aeris is different from the other children. I wonder dangers await her…?"_

_The Professor faced away, "Never say that! I will protect you and Aeris no matter what!!"_

_He turned to her, "You and Aeris are my only treasures. I'll never let you go!!"_

"_I feel so much better now, darling," Ifalna said. "If I hadn't met you, I…"_

_He walked over to her and placed his arms around her neck. Just as they were about to kiss, there came an abrupt knock on the door. The Professor turned._

"_Who could that--!" he wondered. "I was just about to…"_

_He grabbed his head, Ifalna covered her face._

"_Damn!!" Ifalna said. "How dare they intrude on our 'private time' together!"_

"_I'll send them away," the Professor said._

_She looked at him, "Yes, at once!! Who the devil?"_

_She went to the door, as she opened it; a cold wind blew through the room._

"_It's…it's them," she whispered._

_She ran behind the Professor, two Shinra guards rushed into the room followed by Hojo. He walked right up to the Professor._

"_Heh, heh, heh…." He laughed a bit. ""I've been searching for you, Ifalna… or should I say, Cetra! Long time no see, Professor Gast!"_

"_Hojo…" Gast said. "How did you know?"_

"_Believe me, I had to turn a stone or two to find you," he said._

_Hojo faced away as Gast shook his head._

"_Two years I waited…" he said. "That's how much I wanted this new sample… Ha, ha, ha."_

_He turned back to Gast._

"…_New sample?" Gast wondered. "You don't mean Aeris!?"_

_Gast viciously grabbed onto the front of Hojo's lab coat, the two guards raised their guns. Gast frozen, Hojo pushed his arm away._

"_Hmm, Aeris? What a nice name… Ha, ha, ha."_

_Gast held his head, "That's it! I'm severing all ties with the Shinra. Hojo, please leave."_

_Ifalna moved at last, she walked calmly in front of Gast and kneeled on the floor before Hojo._

"_Please, Aeris has nothing to do with it!" she shouted. "All you want is me, right?"_

_Gast spun to his wife, he said, "Ifalna!"_

_Hojo nodded, he said, "I'll need all of you for my experiment."_

_He turned to Gast, "You understand, don't you, Professor Gast? We can change the future of the Planet!"_

_Gast kneeled by his wife, "Don't worry, Ifalna. I'll take care of this."_

"_Please don't put up a fight. I don't want any harm to come to my precious sample."_

_Hojo turned to the camera, "Mmm? What a funny looking camera. Guard! Destroy it!"_

_The guard nearest to the camera spun and shot out the camera. The screen went black._

"_Be careful with her!!" Hojo's voice ordered. "Ha, ha, ha…"_

_There was a sound of a blow._

"_Wh…what are you doing, Professor!?" Ifalna's voice cried._

"_Ifalna!" Gast's voice shouted. "Take Aeris and run!!"_

_A sound of a gunshot was heard._

"_Eyaaaaaah… Darling…!!"_

_Then there was a pause._

"_Oh, and uh…don't forget the child! Hm, a video? The Ancients…Weapon!? Heh, heh, heh… a mountain of treasure! Thank you, Professor… Ha, ha, ha."_

Aerith stopped watching, she placed the camera on the stand next to her bed. There was a knock on the door, Tifa walked toward the door and came back with two wrapped packages, one for Kairi and one for Aerith. Kairi opened her package first to find a weapon similar to hers.

The handle was black while the square position of it was dark red, at every corner was a rose, connecting them were intertwining vines, the length was dark red, and the teeth looked like a banquet of roses. A key chain was a small gun.

Aerith opened her package to find a sword that looked like the Buster Sword; the blade looked like a crystal, the handle was soft red leather, dangling from the end was a dark red ribbon. Tifa admired the look and style of the sword.

"Let's go!" Yuffie said excited. "Food's ready!"

They walked to the main room, Aerith and Kairi leaving their new weapons on their beds, the dinner was laid on the table when they arrived; everyone sat down and started to eat. Kairi ate like she hadn't been fed in weeks; Aerith enjoyed eating, Barret and Yuffie fighting a rice ball, Cid ate his rice ignoring Barret and Yuffie, Tifa gave some of her food to Nanaki. Aerith noticed how Kairi was eating.

"You sure are hungry, aren't you?" she said with a smile.

"I had been in that forest for six weeks, living only the food I could," Kairi said. "Cuz' five years ago, a sliver haired man came to my village and took one of my friends, then burnt the village to the ground. So I lived in Midgar until my fifteenth birthday, that's when I decided go to the Forbidden Forest."

The rest of dinner went on without a word, after dinner, everyone went to bed. Aerith stared at her crystal bladed sword, feeling something or someone was somewhere was in the room before falling asleep.

* * *

Cloud, Riku, and Zack were outside the inn, staring into the bedroom the group was staying. Riku had a fist ready to hit Zack if he acted like a pervert, Cloud just watched Aerith. Riku noticed Zack was drooling and saw why; he was staring at the girls sleeping.

"Cloud, can I hit Zack?" Riku asked. "He's acting like a pervert."

"Sure, why not," Cloud said.

Riku raised his fist above Zack's head and hit him hard. Zack was knocked out slightly, he was still out of it when he brought himself back up and said, "Look, something taking over Tifa…" before falling to the ground.

Cloud gasped, Zack was right, Tifa suddenly sat up on her bed and started to walk over to Aerith's bed. Cloud ran out of the brushes he, Riku, and Zack hid behind. Riku tried to follow, but Cloud said, "Stay here and watch over Zack."

Riku sighed, he and Zack never got along, but Cloud hadn't been with them long to know that. He just watched Cloud run toward the window and watch what happen. Tifa climbed onto Aerith's bed, overlooking Aerith's sleeping form.

She grabbed Aerith's neck, waking the Ancient.

"Tifa!" Aerith shouted, trying to breath. "Let go!"

"I'm not Tifa," she said, her voice changing. "I'm Sephiroth."

Aerith could see sliver hair fell upon her shoulder, her emerald green eyes staring into light aqua green eyes. Sephiroth was smiling the same sly smile at the temple. Aerith struggled to break free. She didn't notice a black cloaked figure jump in the room and knock Sephiroth from Tifa's body.

The figure walked to the window, Aerith called, "Wait! Who are you?"

"Could you imagine yourself without that ex-soldier?" it said before leaving. Cloud lowered his hood and walked toward Riku and Zack, Riku walked up to him. He grabbed his hand and looked into his companion's bright sea blue eyes.

"Cloud, you know Sephiroth will try anything to kill Aerith," he said. "And he'll kill anyone who gets in his way."

"You worried about something?" Cloud asked.

"I'm worried he'll kill Kairi if she tries to protect Aerith," Riku was really worried by the tone in his voice.

"The boy who just realized the lies Sephiroth told him the past five years is worried that his secret crush will die if she protects my old girlfriend?" Zack asked.

"Better than a certain person was brought back to life while his best friend dies," Riku said no care in his voice.

"What was that, you little punk?!" Zack looked red as a tomato as he stared angrily at Riku.

Riku stuck his tongue at Zack like a child, Cloud laughed at his friends as he walked deeper in the forest surrounding them.

* * *

The next morning as the others were packing Lady Luck, Aerith was thinking the figure had said. She couldn't imagine without Cloud, she'd lost and confused without him. She didn't know why, but she started to sing a song.

"_As long as stars shine down from heaven,"_ she sang, _"and the rivers run into the sea. Til the end of time forever, you're the only one I'll need."_

Her song not only caught her friends' attention, but the attention of the people in the town. Aerith ignored the stares she got as she continued.

"_In my life you're all that matters. In my eyes the only truth I see. When my hopes and dreams have shattered, you're the one who's there for me."_

Her voice was so beautiful everyone stopped what they're doing to listen to the last Ancient on the Planet sing.

"_When I found you, I was blessed and I will never leave you, I need you. Imagine me without you; I'd be lost and so confused. I wouldn't last a day. I'd be afraid, without you there to see me through."_

Her song reached Cloud's ears, he sighed, and listening to her beautiful voice, Zack and Riku also listened to her voice.

"_Imagine me without you. Lord, you know it's just impossible. Because of you, it's all brand new. My life is now worthwhile. I can't imagine me without you."_

As Aerith sang, her clothes changed into what looked like a female version of Cloud's SOILDER uniform. She stared at the airship Cid used; Cid's mouth was opened slightly.

"_When you caught me, I was falling. Your love lifted me back on my feet. It was like you heard my calling and you rushed to set me free."_

Kairi's eyes seemed to shine as she listened to Aerith sing. She couldn't believe it.

"_When I found you, I was blessed and I will never leave you, I need you. Imagine me without, I'd be lost and so confused. I wouldn't last a day. I'd be afraid, without you there to see me through."_

Cloud couldn't help but think of the times he spent with Aerith as he listened to her song.

"_Imagine me without you. Lord, you know it's just impossible. Because of you, it's all brand new. My life is now worthwhile. I can't imagine me without you."_

Aerith entered Lady Luck as her clothes changed back to normal, Kairi and the others followed. Cid decided they were heading to Nibelheim, as they flew, Aerith thought about what just happened in Winter Town.

* * *

A black cloaked figure stood the gates of Nibelheim, the wind blowing the bottom of the cloak, the figure tried to keep the hood up. The figure slowly entered the village, looking at the Shin-Ra mansion.

"I thought Nibelheim was burnt down five years ago by Sephiroth," it said to itself. "What other surprises will Sephiroth show now, five years later?"

It lowered to the hood to show a mask that looked like a fox face. The wind just continued to blow, strains of blond hair blowing.

"She'll be here soon," the masked person said. "I can feel it."


End file.
